HELP PLEASE!!! lightroom question for anyone that works between multiple computers
Jul 6, 2014 22:37:17 #
Candiceob14
Loc: Central Texas
I am having a really hard time figuring out how I can work in lightroom and save to an external drive so that I can go back and forth between my laptop(MacBook Pro) and my desktop(iMac). Can anyone help? I did a "backup" of my lightroom catalog on my laptop but when I went to my desktop to open it it's just photos...no folders...just 1000's of photos. I've been using lightroom to catalog for the past 2 years(I just bought and iMac) but I filled up my hard drive and have to figure this stuff out or I'm gonna give up and go back to bridge. If anyone could give me some suggestions< even if it's just a source to refer to, I would be greatly appreciative. Thanks in advance!
Jul 6, 2014 22:49:55 #
Candiceob14 wrote:
I am having a really hard time figuring out how I ... (show quote)
Move the files or folders your working with to your portable drive. When you are in lightroom or what ever program you are in go to file open select the file. When your done and save your work it will save in that folder unless you choose to save it to another folder. So the saved file will save on the portable drive .
If you do not want to move your original file to your portable drive. When you save your work. Click save as and pick the destination as your portable drive.
Lightroom will open files from what ever source you ask it to as well as save to what ever destination you ask to.
Good luck. If you want me to screen shot what I said so it's easier to follow I can do that to.
Jul 6, 2014 22:51:46 #
From Adobe TV
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-complete-picture-with-julieanne-kost/how-to-migrate-lr-to-another-computer/
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-complete-picture-with-julieanne-kost/how-to-migrate-lr-to-another-computer/
Jul 7, 2014 04:29:25 #
Coyote9269 wrote:
Move the files or folders your working with to you... (show quote)
It does not sound as if you are using Lightroom, the command "Save As" does not exist in Lightroom. Nor does the command "Open"
I think you are describing a browser type program such as Bridge, not a catalogue based program as LR is.
Jul 7, 2014 04:44:42 #
Candiceob14 wrote:
I am having a really hard time figuring out how I ... (show quote)
Have I read this correctly, you are trying to use a catalogue back up as a working file? If this is so, it is not going to work.
You need to have Lightroom installed on both Desktop and Laptop, I assume you have done this.
You should not have Lightroom opened on both machines at the same time especially when the external drive is plugged in.
The external drive should contain all the picture files AND the catalogue together with supporting files such as previews etc.
No images should be stored on either the Desktop nor the Laptop.
The Lightroom catalogue backup should only be accessed and opened if you have a crisis - it should not ever be used as a working file.
You probably have a "situation" arisen due to previous attempts to make this work, so that situation will need sorting out before moving any more photos.
Please post here or PM me the state of play with the files, and I will be happy to assist you sorting out and setting up so that you can have an ordered workflow using both machines.
Jul 7, 2014 06:37:44 #
Candiceob14 wrote:
I am having a really hard time figuring out how I ... (show quote)
Keep your images and catalog on the external drive. This way when you open the catalog on either computer, everything will be there. You would use two external drives so you can have a backup. If you use thunderbolt with an SSD drive it will be plenty fast.
Jul 7, 2014 08:45:22 #
Candiceob14 wrote:
I am having a really hard time figuring out how I ... (show quote)
Listen to Searcher--he knows what he's doing.
Jul 7, 2014 09:03:43 #
Candiceob14 wrote:
I am having a really hard time figuring out how I ... (show quote)
What is your workflow when using Lightroom with these two devices? Do you use both computers at the same location (Home or Office)? Or do you have the need to use, say, the desktop at home and the Laptop on-the-road? If the latter, then you really need a portable external drive that contains your catalog and must be plugged into whichever computer you are working with. If both computers are in the same location, it would help a lot if your external drive was attached to a network accessible by both computers (check out NAS - Network Attached Storage). This would eliminate having to disconnect and reconnect the external drive every time you want to change computers.
Jul 7, 2014 13:56:06 #
My suggestions:
1. Install Light Room (LR) on both computers.
2. Make and save an LR catalog on the external hard driver (EHD)
3. When opening LR on one of the computers (assuming the EHD is connected to the computer) open the EHD LR catalog
4. Now you should be up and running!
TIP: I shoot RAW and JPEG simultaneously. I save the RAWs on the EHD and the JPEGs in iPhoto (best of both worlds). I then "IMPORT" the RAWs into LR.
GOOD LUCK!
1. Install Light Room (LR) on both computers.
2. Make and save an LR catalog on the external hard driver (EHD)
3. When opening LR on one of the computers (assuming the EHD is connected to the computer) open the EHD LR catalog
4. Now you should be up and running!
TIP: I shoot RAW and JPEG simultaneously. I save the RAWs on the EHD and the JPEGs in iPhoto (best of both worlds). I then "IMPORT" the RAWs into LR.
GOOD LUCK!
Jul 11, 2014 12:02:18 #
I keep all my photos on an external drive (backed up elsewhere) and in the catalog preferences indicate that the catalog backup is on the same external drive.
When opening LR from either computer use the backup file to launch LR.
When opening LR from either computer use the backup file to launch LR.
Jul 16, 2014 17:23:21 #
Jul 17, 2014 19:45:26 #
Luki wrote:
I'm so confused
The confusing thing to many is that Lightroom "backup" DOES NOT BACK UP YOUR IMAGE FILES. It only backs up the Catalog. The catalog contains previews of your images but not the real image files.
So you need a process that maintains your original image files where you want them (as suggested above the removable drive is necessary if you want to use more than one computer), AND that backs up the image files somewhere else...either on one of your computers or another removable drive.
Jul 17, 2014 23:48:39 #
Philadd
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
Searcher wrote:
Have I read this correctly, you are trying to use ... (show quote)
I have a question along these same lines. I'm in the process of setting up a similar workflow and I'm wondering if there is any way I can move all of my existing pictures and my current LR catalogue from my iMac hard drive to the external drive without screwing up all of my edits. In other words, how are the edits saved in the catalogue? If the location/path of the source file changes is the catalogue smart enough to still apply the edits to the file in the new location on the external hard drive? Or, am I better off just leaving what I currently have on my hard drive there and starting a new catalogue on the external hard drive for all of the pics I start saving on the external from now on? Hope this makes sense, and I apologize if this is considered hijacking the thread. I just figured it was so in line with the content of the thread that it should be okay.
Jul 17, 2014 23:54:59 #
Racmanaz
Loc: Sunny Tucson!
Luki wrote:
I'm so confused
Kinda makes you want to go back to shooting film ha? lol
Jul 18, 2014 00:17:30 #
Racmanaz wrote:
Kinda makes you want to go back to shooting film ha? lol
Oh, no-no-no-no-no.
Film was MUCH harder to hide my mistakes with.
I can still smell burning celluloid! :roll:
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